People are still doing this? The fact that the area has changed from stone to mossy forest means that they redesigned the area. That's not surprising as it design changes happen in development. There is nothing wrong with this.

What matters is the actual quality of the assets, be they moss or stone textures. I think the PC mossy area screenshot looks quite nice actually. Plenty of atmosphere there compared to the console version.

Member

People are still doing this? The fact that the area has changed from stone to mossy forest means that they redesigned the area. That's not surprising as it design changes happen in development. There is nothing wrong with this.

What matters is the actual quality of the assets, be they moss or stone textures. I think the PC mossy area screenshot looks quite nice actually. Plenty of atmosphere there compared to the console version.

Member

People are still doing this? The fact that the area has changed from stone to mossy forest means that they redesigned the area. That's not surprising as it design changes happen in development. There is nothing wrong with this.

What matters is the actual quality of the assets, be they moss or stone textures. I think the PC mossy area screenshot looks quite nice actually. Plenty of atmosphere there compared to the console version.

Yep, that is definitely just a redesign. Honestly, the best we can hope for from the PC version is that the lighting, specular highlights etc. makes a come back. Because the level design of the reveal footage is not coming back.

Member

Everything points to the existence of different builds:
- a retail build, the one that looks like the fucking alpha we have now on consoles and will also be getting on PC
- demo/showcase build which all pretty footage is based on but was never meant to actually look like that in the final game.

The final game has more differences than simply lighting.

Missing torches and different textures:

Lack of light sources and less furniture and other details:

Entirely different textures. Looks like another game:

Different day time, greatly reduced the amount of dragons and a competely different castle:

Again completely different scenery in the same area:

Some mod has to edit the title. There is more going on than just the lighting.

Member

Everything points to the existence of different builds:
- a retail build, the one that looks like the fucking alpha we have now on consoles and will also be getting on PC
- demo/showcase build which all pretty footage is based on but was never meant to actually look like that in the final game.

The final game has more differences than simply lighting.

Missing torches and different textures:

Lack of light sources and less furniture and other details:

Entirely different textures. Looks like another game:

Different day time, greatly reduced the amount of dragons and a competely different castle:

Again completely different scenery in the same area:

Some mod has to edit the title. There is more going on than just the lighting.

Member

It's shocking that people are surprised that there's three different "versions". Making a game is a progressive thing. Changes will inevitably happen for visual design reasons or for performance reasons.

2-Terms of Kombat

It's shocking that people are surprised that there's three different "versions". Making a game is a progressive thing. Changes will inevitably happen for visual design reasons or for performance reasons.

benevolent sexism

It's shocking that people are surprised that there's three different "versions". Making a game is a progressive thing. Changes will inevitably happen for visual design reasons or for performance reasons.

Of course it's common to see a game not look quite as good as a reveal trailer or target render. And it's not surprising to see gradual downgrades or upgrades through the course of development. However, I invite you to provide an example of another game with such massive differences that were made apparent so suddenly and so late in development.

Member

It's shocking that people are surprised that there's three different "versions". Making a game is a progressive thing. Changes will inevitably happen for visual design reasons or for performance reasons.

I think what most people are surprised about is how nobody said anything about the changes. Only a few weeks ago we still had footage of this awesome looking game but what we got was very different.

Sure games get developed but they usually start out with the poor thing and then refine on that product. Not unless they have dreamed up some amazing project that they had no real way of fulfilling, then it gets downgraded.

Member

This needs to be quoted more. Let me try and illustrate with crappy pictures.

See the first reveal and is quite different to the other three, the lighting is there plus all the other fancy features. By the time it got to TGS, the door frame was wood, not bricks, and has remained the same into the retail version. The position of the torch is the same in the TGS and PS3 Access videos, but since they added a door in the retail version they have moved it back.

Member

It's shocking that people are surprised that there's three different "versions". Making a game is a progressive thing. Changes will inevitably happen for visual design reasons or for performance reasons.

I understand wanting to aim high with your goals for a game and not feasibly being able to achieve those marks come the deadline, but it would be so much better if publishers were more forthright about what they will actually deliver instead of being so insidious about things.

Member

People really shouldn't be shocked by OH MY GOD THREE VERSIONS because it's only natural that changes need to be made as a game progresses through development. Changed geometry ("it's a different castle!!!!!") isn't really the issue.

The issue is still the lighting/specular, which is straight up gone and was never shown to be gone until retail copies made their way out. A core feature of the game is crippled because of it, far more than any changes to how many tables are in certain rooms and whatnot.

Banned

People really shouldn't be shocked by OH MY GOD THREE VERSIONS because it's only natural that changes need to be made as a game progresses through development. Changed geometry ("it's a different castle!!!!!") isn't really the issue.

The issue is still the lighting/specular, which is straight up gone and was never shown to be gone until retail copies made their way out. A core feature of the game is crippled because of it, far more than any changes to how many tables are in certain rooms and whatnot.

Banned

I thought the game was coming out for PS4. When I realized it was ps3/360 I quickly made up my mind not to get it and wait for the superior PC version. DS1 without the fix looked like crap (I assume this was console quality too), am I correct in assuming DS1 and DS2 look similar on the consoles?

Junior Member

I thought the game was coming out for PS4. When I realized it was ps3/360 I quickly made up my mind not to get it and wait for the superior PC version. DS1 without the fix looked like crap (I assume this was console quality too), am I correct in assuming DS1 and DS2 look similar on the consoles?

Nah, games get downgraded during development somewhat often. Intentionally misrepresenting the game six weeks out is where these guys went off the rails. They even used misleading screenshots on the game box!

It's particularly shitty here because the lighting was directly tied to the gameplay. Torches were a major gameplay component and it's gutted in the final release.

Member

Reveal April 2013 (probably on PC), exclusive IGN Demo
1. Complex geometry (look at border of the door).
2. More complex textures.
3. Awesome lightning.
4. Small attention to detail like the cobwebs in the tunnel.
5. Normal mapping on walls of tunnel

Member

Reveal April 2013 (probably on PC), exclusive IGN Demo
1. Complex geometry (look at border of the door).
2. More complex textures.
3. Awesome lightning.
4. Small attention to detail like the cobwebs in the tunnel.
5. Normal mapping on walls of tunnel

Banned

Reveal April 2013 (probably on PC), exclusive IGN Demo
1. Complex geometry (look at border of the door).
2. More complex textures.
3. Awesome lightning.
4. Small attention to detail like the cobwebs in the tunnel.
5. Normal mapping on walls of tunnel

It's also ported from a game developed on PC which has a lot more in common with the 360 vs the PS3. The originals were made with PS3 in mind which explains while they the original was slightly better on PS3.

Member

Reveal April 2013 (probably on PC), exclusive IGN Demo
1. Complex geometry (look at border of the door).
2. More complex textures.
3. Awesome lightning.
4. Small attention to detail like the cobwebs in the tunnel.
5. Normal mapping on walls of tunnel